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With just two weeks to go before the opening of the Cannes Yachting Festival 2025, yachting professionals and enthusiasts are getting ready to take over the quays of Cannes. This year's event will be dense, structured and resolutely focused on the future of the boating industry. Sailboats, multihulls, powerboats, equipment and eco-efficient innovations make up a comprehensive program spread over two sites.
But against a backdrop of persistent economic tensions, and after a summer marked by low attendance on the water, will this edition be able to maintain the commitment of the public and buyers?
The logistical challenge of sectorization between Vieux Port and Port Canto
The organization of the show is based on a rigorous sectorization, designed to improve both the visitor experience and the clarity of the offer. On the one hand, the Old Port features some 360 motorboats, ranging from from 12 to 45 metres including RIBs, monohulls and multihulls. The other side, Port Canto, is mainly dedicated to the world of sailing, with 125 new yachts on display.
The aim of this division is to reduce the overlapping of flows between sailing and motoring enthusiasts, while enhancing accessibility to the associated facilities. This division also takes into account the physical constraints of each harbor, with its varying draughts.
In an uncertain economic climate, where buyers' budgetary choices are becoming tighter, this organization also aims to maximize the clarity of the offering and focus attention on the most buoyant segments.
A clearer view of ranges thanks to thematic zones
For trade visitors, the breakdown by type of boat and equipment makes for a more efficient approach, even if the difficulty of dividing sales teams requires precise juggling. The Power Cat Village, with its 24 power catamarans on the Quai Max Laubeuf, for example, facilitates direct comparison between competing models. The Pantiero, transformed into an equipment village, becomes a strategic point for suppliers and technicians. This location in the Old Port is far removed from the sailing clientele, who are potentially interested in these equipment suppliers.
The Power Boat Marina, dedicated to units under 13 meters, centralizes the offer of small motor cruisers, often prized for coastal or day use. It is located next to the sailboats, opposite the Old Port, which concentrates the other motor boats.
This thematic staging responds to trade visitors' need for efficiency, all the more so as investment decisions today are made with greater caution and rationalization.
The Innovation Route: a showcase for eco-efficient technologies
The creation of the "Innovation Route", a signposted route dedicated to innovation, demonstrates the organizers' determination to highlight solutions with low environmental impact. Forty projects will be presented, divided into four categories:
- alternative propulsion
- improved browsing experience
- sustainable technologies
- eco-designed processes
The projects selected must meet a dual requirement: industrial applicability and relevance to the nautical sector. This technical focus aims to highlight the R&D efforts of boat builders and equipment manufacturers, beyond mere marketing.
Fluid links between the two port sites
The maritime shuttle system linking the two ports has seen its capacity increase by 25% this year, with rotations every 15 minutes. This improvement is a strategic move to maintain continuity in the visit and to promote traffic flow without congestion on the quays.
This arrangement benefits exhibitors and visitors alike, by facilitating business meetings spread over the two sites, while reducing pressure on land access.
The brokerage market: a structured, growing segment
The presence of 45 pre-owned yachts from 25 meters upwards at Port Canto underlines the growing structuring of the brokerage market. This segment benefits from a dedicated space, with direct access and coherent organization. In an economic climate marked by rising interest rates and pressure on new yacht prices, the brokerage market appears to be a strategic lever for many players.
